WATSON, Harold Richard (1895 - c.1933) was born in Toronto on 3 April 1895 and educated at the Toronto Technical School where his talent as a delineator and designer was evident in his student proposal for 'A Summer Bungalow' published in 1912 (Canadian Builder & Carpenter [Toronto], ii, June 1912, 7-9, illus. & descrip.). He again received recognition, this time in 1915 when he was awarded First Prize in a competition for the design of a new Power Station at Du Bonnet Falls, Manitoba (C.R., xxix, 18 Aug. 1915, 857, illus. & descrip.). He graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of Toronto in 1917 and in 1919 he was hired by the Toronto engineering firm of James, Loudon & Hertzberg to head their architectural department (Canadian Engineer, xxxvi, 13 March 1919, 308). Watson then began his own independent practise in Toronto in 1920. His eclectic residential designs were faithful interpretations of the Tudor Revival or Arts & Crafts style; his best work includes the residence for Oscar Taylor, Oriole Gardens (1921), and a residence for M.E. Storey, Dunvegan Road (1925-6), both in Toronto. In 1930 he was awarded a prize for his Colonial Revival design in the competition for 'An Ideal Ontario Home' (R.A.I.C. Journal, vii, April 1930, 148, illus.). No references to his work after 1933 have been found.
MIMICO, a group of 22 detached and semi-detached houses for the Mimico Housing Commission, Murrie Street near Royal York Road, 1919 (Toronto World, 1 Oct. 1919, 11, t.c.; Weston Times & Guide, 1 Oct. 1919, 8, t.c.; C.R., xxxiii, 15 Oct. 1919, 966, illus.; inf. Michael Harrison, Toronto)
LYNWOOD AVENUE, residence for Olive C.E. Malloch, 1920 (Const., xiii, Aug. 1920, 250-52, illus. & descrip.)
WHITNEY AVENUE, residence for Edward Newell, 1920 (Const., xiii, Aug. 1920, 253, illus.)
CHESTNUT PARK ROAD, residence for Albert E. Boothe, 1920 (Const., xiii, Aug. 1920, 254, illus.)
LYNDHURST AVENUE, a group housing project, 1920 (Const., xiii, Aug. 1920, 255-57, illus.)
BENLAMOND AVENUE, residence for A. Fisher, 1920-21 (City of Toronto b.p. 35513, 12 Nov. 1920; inf. Barbara Myrvold, Toronto)
RIDLEY GARDENS, residence and studio for Franklin L. Johnston, 1920-21 (Const., xiv, Oct. 1921, 307-8, illus.)
ORIOLE GARDENS, residence for Mrs. Oscar Taylor, 1921 (Const., xiv, Oct. 1921, illus. & descrip.)
MIMICO, Public School, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 19 April 1922, 54)
FOREST HILL, a mansion for Lionel F. Cutten, Forest Hill Road at Frybrook Road, 1922 (Toronto Daily Star, 17 Feb. 1923, 17, lawsuit by architect for fees)
DUNVEGAN ROAD, residence for Milton E. Storey, 1925-26 (Toronto Star Weekly, 28 April 1928, Gravure Section, p. 5, illus.; R.A.I.C. Journal, v, April 1928, xxxvii, illus. in advert.)
MIMICO, a tract of eleven detached houses at the southeast corner of Lakeshore Boulevard West at Royal York Road, and on the north side of Sussex Drive, 1926; still standing as of 2016, but the houses at No. 8 and No. 10 Sussex Drive were demol. in 2010 (C.R., xl, 19 May 1926, 50; inf. Michael Harrison, Toronto)
ROXBOROUGH STREET EAST, at Whitney Avenue, residence for Harry W. Knight, 1928 (Toronto b.p. A9781, 5 July 1928)
FOREST HILL, residence for Frank Publow, Vesta Drive near Ava Road, 1930 (Weekly Builder Reporter [Toronto], vii, 4 April 1931, 1, illus.; inf. Robert Hamilton, Hamilton, Ont.)
FOREST HILL, residence on west side of Glen Ayr Road, for an unidentified client, 1933-34 (Toronto Star, 17 Nov. 1932, 16, illus. & descrip.)
COMPETITIONS
ONTARIO, The Ideal Ontario Home Competition, sponsored by T. Eaton Co. Department Stores, 1930. Watson was one of 239 architects, draftsmen and architectural students from across Canada who submitted a design in this ideas competition. For his effort, he was awarded a Merit Prize of $250.00. The winner was Harold Savage of Toronto.